STATE COLLEGE — Quarterback Drew Allar was a full participant in the portion of Penn State’s football practice open to the media Wednesday.
His status for Saturday’s huge game with Ohio State remains undecided.
“At this stage, no new information,” coach James Franklin said after practice. “So far, so good. Getting both (backup Beau Pribula) and Drew a ton of reps in practice.”
Allar, a junior who has emerged as a star in his second season as a starter, sustained an apparent knee injury near halftime of the Nittany Lions’ 28-13 win at Wisconsin last Saturday.
Allar warmed up briefly after the halftime break and determined that he couldn’t go. Backup QB Beau Pribula, a junior from Central York, led Penn State back from a 10-7 halftime deficit. The Lions outscored the Badgers 21-3 after halftime.
Allar is a classic drop-back QB, and Pribula is more dangerous as a runner than as a thrower. His presence seemed to unlock the running game in the second half of the Wisconsin game.
The Nittany Lions, 7 — 0 and ranked third nationally, are preparing for a showdown with the fourth-ranked Buckeyes here at noon Saturday.
Penn State’s playbook and game plan change substantially when Pribula enters the game. If Ohio State has to prepare for both, Franklin doesn’t mind that a bit.
“It’s too early to tell,” Franklin said during his weekly press conference Monday, “but (Allar) has played enough football that the decision will go all the way up to game time.”
Also Monday, Franklin suggested No. 3 QB Ethan Grunkemeyer, a highly-regarded freshman, could be in the picture this week.
That’s not going to be the case, though. Grunkemeyer is serving as the scout-team QB this week.
“If Drew was unable to practice — and you guys were at practice today — if Drew was unable to practice, Grunk would be getting reps,” Franklin said. “But if you try to get three quarterbacks ready, you get zero quarterbacks ready.”
Allar wore sweat pants Wednesday, so it was unclear whether he wore a brace. He appeared to be throwing well and moving well, although the media-open portion of practice included only light throwing drills.
Two other key pieces for Penn State, defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton and offensive tackle Anthony Donkoh, left Saturday’s game with injuries.
Donkoh, who was replaced in the second half at Wisconsin by Warwick High School grad Nolan Rucci, was a full participant in the media portion Wednesday.
Dennis-Sutton was not seen at practice. If he can’t go, look for veteran DEs Amir Vanover and Smith Vilbert to have increased roles. Both have performed well in rotation roles so far.
Penn State hasn’t beaten Ohio State since 2016. The Buckeyes are a 3.5-point favorite.
